A Crack in the Past
by Castle333
Summary: Three years ago, the sacred jewel was made whole and Kagome returned home after Inuyasha unexpectedly left and broke her heart. Now, they're thrown back together when Inuyasha is stranded in Kagome's time and the sacred jewel goes missing.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, this is my first fan fiction. I've been reading them for years, and for some reason it just occurred to me recently that I could and should try to write some myself. So, please be kind. I'm still learning!

I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. So please don't sue me.

* * *

Yawning, Kagome leaned back in her chair and stared blearily at the textbook in front of her. She had been staring at the same page for nearly thirty minutes now, and it still wasn't sinking in. She knew she wanted to be a doctor; there had never been a doubt about that. But lately, her heart just hadn't been in her schoolwork. 

Turning her head, her gaze fell on her bedroom window. The heady scent of the blooming cherry blossoms was thick in the night air, and a warm breeze was causing the shadows on her ceiling to dance and flinch. They were being cast by the branches of the large old tree in the middle of the yard, the one she had found Inuyasha pinned to nearly seven years ago.

She wasn't sure why she continued to leave the window open every night, especially considering the chilly nights they'd been having lately, but she just couldn't bring herself to close it.

Once all the Shikon jewel shards had been collected, she had intended to stay in the Feudal Era. True, there had still been ample time to go to medical school and finally get her medical license; to achieve the dream she'd had since she was a little girl. She hadn't been gone from her time for so long that she would have to give up on that dream. But four years of her life had been spent searching for those jewel shards, and it had been impossible to imagine leaving and never coming back.

It had been on her mind the week before they finally found the last shard, that she would soon have the option of staying or returning home. Finally, she decided to stay there with her friends. Miroku, Shippo, Sango. Inuyasha.

Most of all, Inuyasha.

But he had disappeared the night the Shikon jewel was made whole. No explanation, no goodbyes; he was just gone. She had stayed, hoping that he might come back, or at the very least give some kind of explanation.

But he never did.

After a month of waiting, of listening to Miroku and Sango try to come up with reasons of why he might of left, and Shippo telling her she was much better off, she had needed to leave. It was too painful.

She had asked Sango to keep the Sacred Jewel, knowing Sango would defend it with her very life. But she had refused. So had Miroku. They both had seemed to feel that it was better, safer, if she took it back to her own era with her. There was still the chance of a demon finding a way through the bone eater's well and coming after it; it was more likely, however, that if she had left it in the feudal era that more demons would come after it and have a much better chance of actually stealing it.

Kaede had overheard their conversation, and had insisted that she take the jewel with her, saying that she was now the only one who could truly protect the jewel. She was also the only one who could destroy the jewel. So, reluctantly, she had brought it with her. It was now in a glass bottle, hidden beneath a loose floorboard in her room.

It had been so hard to leave her friends. She had been with them for so long, through so much. They had become her family, and she missed them terribly. The idea of going back to visit them was hanging in the back of her head, but she didn't have the strength to go back. Not yet.

Now, nearly three years later, she had studied long and hard, and at the age of 22 was now only a year away from graduating, a year away from starting her residency.

And she still hadn't gone back. She was beginning to think she never would.

Why didn't he say goodbye? Why did he leave?

Sighing under her breath, she shut her anatomy book and stood from her chair, stretching to ease the aches in her back and neck. Then, with every fiber screaming 'no, don't do it!' she reached out and closed her window. Sooner or later, she was going to have to let her torch for Inuyasha burn out. And this was the first step.

> > > > > > > >

Inuyasha slowly climbed from the bone-eaters well, then silently moved across the yard to Kagome's house.

Every night for the last three months he had been coming, and every night he lacked the nerve to do anything more than sit on the roof outside her window, watching her sleep. The first night he had come, it had shocked him to see her and smell the change in her scent. He had never noticed the subtle changes during the years they were together. But after being parted from her for those horrible months, it had surprised him to find she had truly grown up.

She was the skinny little girl no longer; in her place was a curvy, beautiful woman who clearly knew the power she had over men. He had witnessed it once, first hand, during that first week when he had started coming through the well to see her.

A boy had walked her home one night, most likely after a date. Inuyasha had smelled the stink of that boy on Kagome that night, and it had made his gut burn at the thought of someone else touching her.

But it was Kagome that had disturbed him most. She had been wearing a clingy sundress that had made his mouth water, and the smile that she had flashed the boy just before they kissed goodnight had caused a strange fluttering in his chest. And that had quickly been replaced by blood-curdling rage as the boy shifted his hand to cup Kagome's ass.

It had been one of the worst nights of his life.

Jumping up onto the roof, he was startled to find the window closed. For a long while, he was only able to stare at it. She always left it open. In the back of his mind, he had been pretending that she had been leaving it open for him, pretending she missed him. Still wanted to see him. But that illusion was now shattered.

Returning back to the well, he jumped down and inside and felt his body being drawn back into his own era.

"Did you talk to her?" An excited voice greeted him as he climbed out of the well.

"What the hell...?" He looked around, then slowly turned his gaze downward. "Shippo? What the hell are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Get out of my way." Inuyasha snarled, pushing the small fox demon out of the way.

"Hey! Stop it!" Shippo balled his fists, stomping a foot indignantly. "Did you talk to her or not?"

"Of course he didn't." Miroku's voice chimed in. Inuyasha caught sight of him along with Sango, a very pregnant Sango, sitting by a campfire a couple yards away.

For a moment, shock rendered him speechless. He hadn't seen any of them in over a year. Deliberate, on his part. Being with them, it had reminded him too much of Kagome. It had pronounced her absence.

"It's none of your business, monk." Inuyasha growled. "What are you doing here?"

"We come every year."

"What?" Inuyasha said, startled.

"We come here every year." Shippo repeated.

"I caught that. Why the hell would you do that? In case you haven't noticed," he said as he waved an arm. "There's nothing here."

"The well's here." Miroku said. "Tomorrow night is the anniversary of the night we gathered the last jewel shard. It's always seemed fitting that we come out here, relax, and just remember."

"And we knew you'd come back, and when we saw you were going through the well every night, we decided to hang around." Shippo added.

"What?"

"We've been here for a couple of days, now." Sango said after a moment's pause, absently rubbing at her pregnant belly. "And there was always the chance that Kagome would come back, and we wanted to be here if she did."

"I think he keeps chickening out." Shippo said fiercely. "I think he hasn't said a word to her yet. I think..." Shippo's voice trailed off when he saw the warning look Sango shot him.

"You all need to sleep, because you're clearly delusional. I'm leaving." Inuyasha barked shortly. "Have fun with your little anniversary party."

He was halfway across the clearing when Sango's soft voice met his sensitive ears.

"You need to tell her, Inuyasha," she said. "Kagome needs to know, and she needs to hear it from you." Inuyasha faltered in his step, then continued on until he disappeared into the thick shadows of the trees.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. So please don't sue me.

* * *

"Are you ill, Kagome?" 

"Hmm?" Lifting her gaze from the ground, she was faced with the concerned expressions of her friends. "What?"

"You're very pale today." Eri tilted her head squinted up at the sky as they walked. Kagome took off her sunglasses and adjusted them as a headband on top of her head. Although they were all pursuing different majors, she and her friends from junior high still made time once a week to hang out. .

"And quiet." Yuka said. Eri was squinting so hard that Kagome wondered if she was going blind.

"I'm just tired." Kagome said, forcing a smile. "I had some hard exams this week, and pulled several all-nighters. I'm still catching up on my sleep."

"Guess who I saw at the grocery store yesterday." Ayumi said slyly.

"Who?"She said absently.

"Hojo!" Ayumi squealed, clapping her hands together. "We started talking, and then he asked about you, and-"

"He asked about me?" Kagome frowned. "Why?"

"What do you mean, why?" Eri shook her head. "He's always had such a huge crush on you, Kagome. You know that."

"No, I knew he that he _had_ a huge crush on me." Kagome said dryly. "And that was years ago, in junior high. I doubt he still has a thing for me."

"Well, he does." Ayumi said. "And I gave him your number."

"He was such a nice guy." Yuka tilted her head thoughtfully.

"Wasn't he going to get married?"

"Not anymore." Ayumi grinned.

"But I don't know him, not anymore. None of us are the same people we were back in junior high." Kagome felt a sudden desperate need to escape the conversation. "Anyone up for the newTony Chow movie? I heard it's hilarious."

"Sure."

"Why not!"

"Whatever happened to that boyfriend you had back then, Kagome?" Ayumi asked, clearly unable to switch to something else. "He was the reason you never got together with Hojo back then, right? That one with the bad temper?"

"We... broke up." Kagome's voice cracked slightly, and she felt a swell of anger for it. She wasn't supposed to be one of those women that fell apart over a guy. And yet here she was, with tears threatening to burn at the back of her eyes and her voice breaking. This wasn't her. She was stronger than this.

"When?"

"Well...I haven't seen him in nearly three years."

"Really? Three years? Wow. And how guys have you dated since then?"

"Well, there was Kisho, and then Tomo and Haru, and-"

"I mean _seriously_ dated," Ayumi shook her head. "Not dated as in one date and then giving them the heave-ho."

"How about that movie?" Kagome asked shrilly. "Because if we're going to continue on with this conversation, I'm going to go home. I have plenty of other things I could be doing today."

"I'd like to see that movie." Eri said after a moment. "I think Tony Chow is really cute."

"Good." Kagome said with a stilted voice, embarrassed by her outburst. "Lets go, then."

> > > > > > > >

Later that night, as Kagome sat in front of her mirror brushing her hair, she couldn't help thinking about what day it was.

Three years ago tonight, the jewel had been made whole. Three years ago today, Inuyasha had left her.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she wondered what he would think if he saw her now, how she had grown and the things she had accomplished. She wondered if she would ask him to stay. And if she did ask him to, she wondered if he would want to.

A flash of light caught the corner of her eye. It was coming from under her floorboards, the place where she had hidden the Shikon jewel.

Rushing over, she dropped to her knees and pried up the loose floorboard. There was nothing there other than the small bottle and several large clumps of dust.

"I must be imagining things." She said to herself as she reached down and picked up the glass bottle. Inside, the Shikon jewel gleamed in the light of the overhead lamp. The bottle felt surprisingly warm beneath her fingertips, so she pulled out the cork and tilted the bottle until the jewel slid into her palm.

A shock coursed through her, as strong and as violent as though she had been electrocuted. In the instant before her vision went black, she thought she saw the flashing of amber eyes. She fell into darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. So please don't sue me.

* * *

"Kagome!" Inuyasha burst through the closed window, catching her just before her head struck the floor. She was limp as a rag doll in his arms, and he slowly sat down on the floor, cradling her neck on his lap. Gently, hebrushed the hair off from her face, relishing the way the silky strands slid through his fingers.

Holding her like this, to actually be able to reach out and touch her skin and breathe in her scent... For the first time in his life, he felt overwhelmed. All he wanted to do was sit there and hold her. He would be content to do that for the rest of his life.

> > > > > > > > > > > >

The first thing she felt was the burning in her lungs. It was as though she had been burned from the inside out. Everything ached. Then she felt the hand in her hair, the legs supporting her neck. The material covering those legs... She would recognize the feeling of that material against her skin anywhere. That was fire rat fir.

"Inuyasha?" She whispered, trying to blink the stars from her vision. Fierce amber colored eyes met hers, and she felt all the blood drain from her face. "Inuyasha?"

"Yes." He answered gruffly, his expression bland. Tentatively, she reached up with one hand and pressed her hand against his cheek. Warm, smooth skin met her palm and she felt a slight shiver run through his body. Then, after slowly sitting up, she pulled her hand back and slapped him as hard as she could.

"Damn it, woman!" Inuyasha roared, launching himself to his feet. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What am I doing? What are _you_ doing? What are you doing here?"

"Saving you from cracking you head against the floor, that's what." Inuyasha crossed his arms across his chest. "I saw the light coming from your window. It was not normal."

Kagome paused before speaking, giving herself a moment to let everything sink in. Inuyasha was here, really here, standing in her bedroom as though no time had passed.

Yet time had passed. She knew she probably looked different to him, just as he looked different to her. He wasn't as wiry as he had been before, his shoulders broader, arms more muscular. But it was his face that held her attention. He looked... tired. His expression made him look so much older, so much more a man than the boy she had known.

"You saw the light from my window." She repeated. "But how did you see it? What are you doing here, in my time?"

> > > > > > > > > >

His mind was blank. He couldn't remember why he was there, let alone come up with a good lie. All his senses were focused how her slender body had felt beneath his. Her scent swam through his head as he tightened his fists, his fingers still tingling from the sensation of touching her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kagome's voice had lost its startled edge. Even that was different about her. Her voice was lower, more husky. The voice of a woman.

His keen ears picked up the rapid beating of her heart, and he realized she was afraid. Afraid of _him_. Something he never thought could happen.

"I was making sure you're not hurt." He said gruffly, taking a step away from her.

"I'm fine." Kagome winced as she slowly stood up.

> > > > > > > >

The shikon jewel. It wasn't in her hand anymore.

Bending back down, she scanned the floor. Maybe it rolled under her bed, or behind her dresser.

"What the hell are you doing?" Inuyasha frowned.

"The shikon jewel, I was holding it when I..." His brows drew together. "I got dizzy. I think I'm dehydrated."

"Right." He snorted. "And that explains that light I saw. What the hell were you doing with the jewel?"

"Shut up." And to her surprise, he did.

> > > > > > > >

Kagome was crawling on the floor as she looked under her bed, her ass swaying with her movements. He watched her, transfixed. Thankful that his robes hid the aroused state he was in, he crossed to the other side of the room.

"It might have rolled under the dresser." He could hear Kagome's muffled muttering from under the bed.

"I'll check." He said, surprising himself. Bending down, he checked under the dresser, and then her bookcase.

"Anything?" Kagome knelt down beside him.

"No."She was close to him, so close. He turned and her face was right next to his, close enough that he could feel her breath on his neck. Her eyes searched his, then trailed down, resting on his mouth. There was nothing more he wanted than to bend down and claim her. Make her belong to him. But it was probably too late, now.

"I don't understand what happened." She said softly, looking away and breaking the spell.

"Are you sure you were holding it?"

"Yes."

"And no one else was here? No one else came in?"

"No one but you, Inuyasha."

"Then it has to be in here. Maybe it fell into a crack or something."

"What happened to you?" Kagome was looking at him again, and he swore he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. "Where did you go? You just left. Did I do something? Say something?"

Inuyasha's heart rate sped up dramatically. This was the conversation he had been dreading, the one he never wanted to have. Not since he returned to find she had left.

"Inuyasha, please answer. I need to hear it." Her voice hitched slightly. "Was it... was it Kikyo? Is that it? Did you return to her?"

"I need to go, now." Before Kagome could open her mouth, he was on his feet and out the window, jumping to the ground below.

He had to get out. It had been a mistake to come, a mistake to enter her room. A mistake to kiss her.

With one hand on the well, he glanced back over his shoulder towards the house.

He was in love with her. He knew it now, for sure. He loved her.

When he jumped down into the well, rather than feeling the rush and pull of weightlessness, he fell straight down to the bottom of the well and ended up with his face in the dirt.

"What the hell?" He spat out a mouthful of dirt, raking his claws over the bottom of the well. It wasn't working; he was still there.

He was stuck.

* * *

That's where I've got to end it for now. I have a HUGE statistics test Tuesday, and I haven't even begun to study for it. Hopefully, I'll have a couple more chapters up sometime next week. 


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. So please don't sue me.

* * *

She had been up all night, sitting with her back against the wall, staring at the window which Inuyasha had fled from. 

The shikon jewel was gone. _Gone_. It just wasn't there. She couldn't sense it anywhere. And Inuyasha...

She shook her head, hair falling into her eyes as she leaned forward and buried her face in her hands. She couldn't think about that anymore. He was gone, again, and she was now left with even more questions. A part of her wished he had never come there. But just a part.

When the sun started to shine through the open window, slowly inching its way across the floor towards her, she finally climbed to her feet and went to take a shower. And then she did feel a bit better. She felt human again, at least.

And it was her day off, too. That was something positive to think about. After the few errands she needed to run, she could finally finish reading the novel that had been collecting dust on her night table. Or she could work outside in the garden for a couple hours. Or both!

Pulling her damp hair back into a ponytail as she went down the stairs, she waved goodbye to her mom and Souta before heading out the door...

...where she promptly tripped over the sleeping form of Inuyasha.

"Hey, watch it woman!" He complained.

Kagome made a sound low in her throat, annoyance killing the butterflies she ordinarily would have felt upon seeing him.

"I thought you left. Again." She said before gritted teeth.

"Feh!" Inuyasha sat up, glaring at her through slitted eyes. "Your stupid well is broken."

"Inuyasha, please, just go away."

"I can't. It didn't work." When Kagome rolled her eyes, he stood up, crossing his arms across his chest. "Go see for yourself."

> > > > > >

It really wasn't working.

Kagome frowned as she climbed up the ladder from the bottom of the well. Inuyasha was perched on the edge of the stone, looking down at her with a smug expression on his face.

"If you say I told you so," she warned. "So help me..."

"So help you what?" Inuyasha grinned. "I'd like you to finish that statement. Go on. I dare you."

"Smart ass."

"Has this happened before?"

"No, I don't think so." Sighing, she climbed the rest of the way out of the well and brushed the dirt from her knees. "Ever since that first time I was pulled through by that centipede demon, it's always worked."

"That really was a long time ago, wasn't it." She glanced up at him, and found him searching her face. She wasn't sure what he was looking for.

"Seven years ago." Silence fell between them again.

God, he was handsome. Wasn't he? All that long silvery hair, those flashing eyes. And there was something else, something else that hasn't been there before. The way he held himself, the way he met her eye... He had grown up. They both had. Maybe it wouldn't have worked out between them. Maybe they would have fought, and broken up, and she would have ended up back at home anyway. But she really, truly, desperately wished, now more than ever, that they had at least tried. Looking at him now, she wished she could have known what it had been like to see him finish growing up, and become the man that stood before her now.

"So..." Inuyasha cleared his throat. "What's different now? Why doesn't the well work now?"

"I don't know." Kagome bit her lower lip. She didn't notice that his eyes followed her movements. "I wonder if it has something to do with the sacred jewel disappearing."

"You're sure it's gone?"

"I can't sense it anywhere." She said, shaking her head as they slowly walked out of the shrine and into the sunlight. "But no one came into my room last night, I swear. It's like..." She gestured helplessly. "It's like it just ceased to exist."

Inuyasha fell silent. She waited for a moment, then continued to walk down the path towards the stairs that would lead her to the street.

"Hey! Where are you going?" He demanded, jogging to catch up with her.

"I have shopping to do."

"You can't just leave me here!"

"You're a big boy, Inuyasha. I think you're perfectly capable of entertaining yourself for a couple of hours."

"No." He stepped in front of her path and stopped, causing her to walk straight into his chest. His broad, strong, oh-so-touchable chest.

"Excuse me?" She stammered.

"Take me with you." Inuyasha demanded. "I've been into the city before. I know how stuff works."

She considered arguing with him, but realized it may be a good idea. Maybe he'd loosen up, relax. Maybe then he'd finally explain why he had left.

"Fine." Inuyasha grinned. "But you can't go like that. We're going to have to put you in some different clothes."

> > > > >

Inuyasha wasn't smiling now.

"I can't wear this!" He shifted uncomfortably in the jeans she had given him. Luckily, Souta had been growing like a weed since he hit puberty, and was nearly Inuyasha's height. She had been able to just borrow some of his clothes for the time being. They were not, however, the same in the body weight and muscle department. Inuyasha's arms and chest looked positively ripped in the t-shirt she had given him, and she was trying her best not to stare.

"Just... don't move your arms."

"Why not?"

"You might rip your shirt."

"So this clothing is not supposed to be so confining?" Inuyasha looked visibly relieved.

"Well, the jeans actually look like they fit you." She motioned for him to turn around, and he scowled. Obliged, but scowled. My yes, did they fit. A bit snug in the butt, but that was fine with her. "But we need to get you some bigger shirts. And shoes. And I suppose we could get your new pants, if you're really _that_ uncomfortable."

"Shoes?" He cocked an eyebrow at her as she put a baseball cap on his head to cover his ears. "Are you joking?"

"People here wear shoes." She brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "We could get you some sandals." He gave her a blank look, so she explained what they were.

"If I must." Inuyasha sighed.

"Well... let's go. I have a lot of stuff to do." _And with you along, I'm going to be very distracted_, she added mentally.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. So please don't sue me.

* * *

The first place they went to, at Inuyasha's request, was a store to buy new clothing. He feared what he was wearing would rip should he make anybig movements. Plus, he had caught a group of young girls looking at him. When he had scowled at them, they giggled. Giggled! Demons he could handle, but not giggling girls. They could be far more dangerous. 

Taking the clothes Kagome had picked out for him, he went into the 'dressing room'. After closing the door, he had been momentarily startled to see his own reflection in the mirror. Not that he didn't know what a mirror was; he wasn't that out of place. But he hadn't seen his own reflection in so long, that it had taken him aback for a moment.

Taking the hat off, he studied his face, his body. Did he look very different to Kagome? Worse, or better than before? He hoped it was the later.

Pulling on the new garments, he was pleased to find that these fit much better. He could move freely. He stepped out of the dressing room wearing some of the new clothes, the rest piled up in his arms.

"Kagome, these..." His voice trailed off. She was leaning against the counter, talking to a boy with shoulder-length black hair and glasses. Something the boy said made her smile, and the boy then reached out and put his hand on her arms.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth.

"These will do." He announced loudly, marching over to the counter and dumping everything. Kagome flinched slightly when the hangers struck the glass counter top, but her pleasant expression never slipped.

"And the ones he's wearing, Tomo." Kagome pulled a small, square card from her purse and handed it to the boy.

Jealousy burned in his gut when the boy shot a smile back at Kagome as he slid the small card through a machine. The smile faded, however, when he saw the angry look on Inuyasha's face.

"These are much better." Inuyasha said gruffly as Kagome got her card back.

"Good." She began a quick study of him. When her hand brushed against his as she checked the length of his shirt, he had to shift slightly. The pants had fit back in the dressing room, but they suddenly felt a bit tight.

"Blue is a good color for you." Kagome murmured, taking the bag from the boy. "I like it." She flashed him a small smile and headed out of the store. A moment later, when his legs started working again, he headed out after her.

> > > > > >

"So... who was that?"

"Hmm? Oh, that was Tomo. He's a friend of mine."

"You were... intimate?" Kagome felt a flush creep up her neck.

"No! I mean, no." She stammered, shaking her head. "I mean, we went out a couple of times, but nothing serious."

"But, you dated this boy."

"Yes. Kind of. God, this is the strangest conversation."

"Oh."

They walked in silence, now, as they ran the last of Kagome's errands. Inuyasha's expression was bland, but she could hear a clicking in his jaw as though he was grinding his teeth. Her stomach kept flipping end over end, though she wasn't sure why. It shouldn't have bothered her that Inuyasha knew she had dated in his absence, but it did. It bothered her a lot.

As they headed back towards her house, Inuyasha's hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist, pulling her to a stop.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He gestured for them to sit on a nearby bench. "You mean for the clothes? That's nothing. You needed something to wear."

"No, I mean for today."

"Well..." Her brows knit together. "You asked to come. Or rather, you demanded to come. But you demanded nicely, so it's fine. I didn't mind the company."

"No." Inuyasha's hands gripped her shoulders. The warmth of his skin sank into hers, sending trembling shocks down and along her nerves. "I didn't deserve any of this."

Kagome opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She wasn't sure what to say, let alone remember how to form words with her tongue.

"What I did to you was inexcusable. I hurt you; I know this to be true. I deserve to be banished from your home, taken outside and beaten. But you still took me with you, clothed me, talked to me." He shook his head slowly. "I am deeply humbled by you, Kagome."

"You think you hurt me?" She managed to stammer. His golden eyes were so intent on her face that she could almost feel him touching her skin with his gaze. She shivered slightly.

"Are you cold?"

"The opposite, actually." Kagome whispered. "Why do you think you hurt me?"

"I made you cry last night."

"No, you didn't."

"I could smell the salt."

"I was overtired, and dehydrated. Oh, and I lost the Shikon jewel. You, Inuyasha, did not make me cry." He was quiet for a moment.

"I had to leave, Kagome." His voice cracked slightly at the end, his gaze slipping away and focusing on something behind her. "I am truly sorry. I had to do it. I don't know if you saw that, but I hope you did."

"Why? I was going to stay there, Inuyasha. I waited, and I waited. And you never came back. What happened?"

"I..."

"Yes?"

"Do you know them?"

"Excuse me?" Kagome blinked.

"Those two women behind you. They're staring at us." Turning her head, she saw Eri and Yuka standing a few feet away, staring at Inuyasha with their mouths slightly open.

"No, never seen them before in my life. Why did you leave?"

"Kagome!" Yuka was suddenly right in front of them, a sly smile on her face. "Who's this?"

"Are these your friends?" Inuyasha asked her.

"Not any more." She muttered.

"What?"

"Inuyasha, this is Yuka, and that's Eri."

"Pleased to meet you." Yuka breathed. Eri continued to stand where she was, staring at Inuyasha.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome asked.

"I have a date tomorrow, and needed a new dress." Yuka held up the small bag she was carrying. "So you're the legendary ex. We've been _dying_ to meet you." Inuyasha's quizzical gaze swung over towards her, and Kagome quickly looked away, her cheeks burning. "It's so nice that you two still hang out."

"Is that real?" Eri asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Can I touch it?"

"Excuse me?" Kagome and Inuyasha said at the same time.

"Your hair. Is it real?"

"Of course it isn't." Yuka rolled her eyes. "He's about our age; how could he have silver hair?"

"So, can I touch it?"

"Um... I guess so." The way Inuyasha said it made it sound like a question.

"Wow..." Eri was leaning into him, now, running her hands through the ends of his hair. "It's so soft. What kind of dye do you use? There's no damage." Inuyasha shot a helpless glance towards Kagome, but she just shrugged.

Leaning foward, elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, she watched them. Her friends teased Inuyasha, and he struggled to keep up with what they were saying, all of them ultimately ignoring her. And all she could think about was how close she had just been. He had been about to say where he had been, what had happened.

And he had apologized! How weird was that? It was almost surreal. For now, she supposed, that would have to be enough.

For now.


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters. So please don't sue me.

* * *

"You have very interesting friends." Inuyasha mused as he collapsed on the sofa in Kagome's living room. "Very... talkative." 

"Yes. They are." She handed him his bag of clothes. "But it was you that accepted their invitation to go eat, not me."

"I was hungry." He muttered. "You hadn't fed me all day."

"Yes, I should've known better, huh?" Kagome laughed. He loved when she laughed. Her head always tilted slightly to the right, and her whole face would light up.

"Wait..." She had turned away from him, now, heading towards the stairs. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going upstairs to read. Why?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, you can watch tv, or go outside. I don't know. Do whatever you want."

"No, I mean, how do I get back home? Should we keep looking from the Shikon jewel? Should we go do research? There must be a reason the well stopped working."

"You're right." Kagome sighed, and sat down in a chair opposite him. "I mean, you can't just stay here, can you?"

He had to fight not to flinch when she said it. True, he knew his place wasn't here. He would never fit in. But... he still hadn't been expecting her to agree with him so quickly. She rubbed at her eyes and he bit the inside of his lip.

"But... it can wait until tomorrow, I think." His heart lifted.

"Yes, I think it could."

"Tomorrow's the new moon." Kagome's eyes were searching his face. "I thought I should warn you."

He nodded, and watched as Kagome slowly rose from her chair and headed upstairs. Stretching out on the sofa, he crossed his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

Hours passed by, but he remained there, watching as the shadows crossed the ceiling from the setting sun, stretching and absorbing the room's light. Kagome still hadn't come down.

"Inuyasha?" A hesitant voice come from the doorway.

"Hmm?" Craning his neck slightly, he saw a boy standing in the doorway. "Yes?"

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha sat up, taking a better look at the boy.

"Souta?" The boy nodded.

"You remembered."

"Of course I remember." He said, shaking his head slightly as a small smile crossed his lips. The boy had grown.

"We stopped seeing you around here." Souta crossed his arms across the chest, much in the way Inuyasha himself would, and leaned against the doorframe. "We weren't sure whatever happened to you."

"Kagome didn't say?"

"Kagome didn't know." Inuyasha digested that.

"I needed to leave for a while," He said simply. "I thought it was for the best."

"Kagome didn't think so. Mom and I used to hear her crying at night, after we'd all gone to bed. She never said, but we both knew why."

"She's going to be a doctor. She has a real life. She wouldn't have had this had she stayed." Inuyasha shook his head. "You're a goddamned kid. What do you know about all this?"

"I know that if you break her heart again, I'll kill you." This made Inuyasha laugh.

"I like you, boy. You're turning out okay."

"Thank you. And I will kill you."

> > > > > > >

Kagome could hear Inuyasha and Souta talking downstairs, but she couldn't quite made out what they were saying. Closing her book, she rested her head back against her headboard and closed her eyes.

Over the years, she had found a few books that had referenced the jewel and its properties, all under the heading of 'legend' and 'folklore', of course. She had never learned much from the books that she hadn't already known, but tonight she checked them again anyway.

Inuyasha had been mentioned in one of the books, as was Sango and Miroku. They had each earned their own page in the book. Sango was the brave female warrior, Miroku the wise and steady monk. Inuyasha was the fearless man with a deadly aim and quick temper. And she had two sentences at the bottom of Inuyasha's page, where she was described as being his 'dark-haired wife', who 'disappeared soon after the jewel was made whole and presumed to have died soon after'.

It had never bothered her before, but tonight it annoyed her greatly. So that's all she was? A lousy two-sentences?

Turning over onto her stomach, she buried her face into her pillow.

She was in love with him. She knew it now, knew for sure. She probably had always been in love with him, but passed it off as mere infatuation. But tonight as she read those two sentences, read how she was his 'dark-haired wife', it had made her smile. And she had wished it had been true.

But he had never been hers. She had always belonged to him, but he had never been hers.

She cried herself to sleep.

> > > > > > >

It was dark when Inuyasha crept up the stairs to Kagome's room. Souta and his mother had long ago gone to bed, and he had sat in the darkness of the living room, staring out the window towards the old shrine.

Kagome's room was dark when he pushed open the door, but he could easily make out her form on the bed. The scent of salt hung heavy in the air; she had been crying.

He knelt down next to her bed. She was lying on her side, facing him, her breathing slow and deep. Hesitantly, he reached out and brushed her hair away from her face. Tear tracks clung to the pale skin of her checks, and the circles under her eyes seemed darker, harsher than before. Gently, he rubbed a finger over one of her cheeks, trying to brush the tears away. But they had already dried; they stayed where they were.

Leaning forward, he closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. She was so beautiful. He wanted to have her scent buzzing around his head when he went to sleep. Maybe it would keep the nightmares away.

Settling himself against the wall, next to her bed, he fell asleep watching her. And for the first night in years, he slept soundly.

* * *

That's all for tonight! I'll try to have some more up in a day or so! 


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own Inuyasha or any of the other characters. I wish I did, though. That would be awesome...

* * *

She knew Inuyasha was in the room even before she woke up. 

Cracking an eye open, she blearily glanced around before sitting up. There he was, leaning against the wall by her bed, sleeping. He still slept with his mouth half open, she noticed, smiling as she watched the way his ears would twitch as he dreamed.

"Kagome..." He growled softly. "You're staring at me."

Okay, so he _wasn't _asleep. He still looked awfully peaceful, though. Despite the half-open mouth.

"I just woke up." She said softly, lying back down on her stomach near the edge of her mattress, propping her chin up on her crossed arms. "You could've slept in the spare bedroom, you know. Or the couch downstairs."

"I like the floor." He smiled lazily as he opened his eyes. "It's familiar."

"And you certainly do like your things familiar, don't you?" Kagome teased, relishing the way the sunlight from the window warmed her face.

"Well... I like you." Steady gold eyes met hers. She wasn't sure if he was teasing her or not. She just woke up! It was too early to decipher his cryptic statements.

No, he was teasing. He was teasing! He wouldn't say something like that and actually _mean _it.

"That's because we spent all those years together searching for jewel shards. I'd _better_ be familiar after all of that." Yawning, she sat back up again and pushed down her blankets. "Ugh. I fell asleep without changing my clothes. I hate that. It always makes me feel dirty."

"Are you all right?" Raising her eyebrows as she pulled her tousled hair back into a quick ponytail, she nodded.

"Uh... yeah. Nothing a shower and some coffee can't fix."

"No, I meant about yesterday. You never came back downstairs last night."

"Oh, right." She pressed the heel of her palm against her forehead for a moment, gathering herself, before climbing out of bed. "I looked though these last night," she said as handed him some of the books she had looked through. "I didn't find anything that would be useful to us, but if you have time, maybe you'll see something I missed."

"Sure." Inuyasha nodded, staring down at the books she had handed him. "This is what you were doing for so long?"

"Yes. And... thinking." He stared up at her, obviously waiting for her to elaborate. "I'm going to go take a shower, now. And you," She leaned down and tapped one of his ears. "Can start reading."

> > > > > > >

Okay... So... she wasn't mad then. She wasn't upset. So what the hell was going on?

Eyeing the pile of books she had given him, he noticed the marked passages were each only a few pages long. How could this have taken her so long to look through? He had smelled the salt; he knew she had been crying. Kagome wouldn't lie to him, would she? Maybe it was just a female thing.

"'And... thinking'." He muttered to himself. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The sound of rushing water had his ears pricking forward; Kagome was in the shower.

He was on his feet and halfway across the room before he realized what he was doing. Pausing mid-stride, he reached up to touch the necklace that hung around his neck. If she saw him... he was going to be in for a world of hurt. She would probably sending him crashing down through the floorboards themselves. But then his body took over again, and he crossed the remaining length of the room and slowly pushed the door open.

It was the scent that hit him first. Soap, and lavender, and Kagome, all blended into one intoxicating cloud that hit his senses like a hammer. His grip on the door tightened until he could feel his claws tearing the wood, but he really didn't care. The glass on the shower doors was cloudy, but he could still make out the outline of her body as she rinsed the soap off of her skin.

His mouth went dry. Gods, she was beautiful. He was certain that until this moment, he had never seen true beauty; hell, he would never see anything as breathtaking as this again.

But then all too quickly, he could see the outline of her hand reach down, and then the water ceased to run. Silently, he closed the door and stepped back into her bedroom.

Picking up one of the books, he sat down on the edge of her bed to wait for her to come out. Noticing one of the pages was marked, he opened to that page.

"Feh!" He snorted a moment later. Miroku, a wise and steady monk? Sango's description was pretty accurate, and the part about him was dead-on; all except for the part about his temper. He did not have a _quick _temper. And Kagome...

He sat up straight. Kagome, his wife?

"You have the strangest look on your face, you know that?" Whipping his head up, he met Kagome's gaze as she walked back into the room, towel-drying her hair. Her eyes lowered to the book he was holding. "Oh, you don't want to read that one." She moved quicker than he would have given her credit for; the book was out of his hands and in her desk drawer before he had a chance to react. "The others are much better."

"Alright." She smiled briefly, then headed back into the bathroom. He wasn't going to tell her he had already read the marked page.

> > > > > >

Later, leaning back against a tree, Kagome glanced at Inuyasha over the top of her sunglasses. Souta was trying to teach him how to play soccer; despite the frequent spurts of cursing, it looked like he was having a pretty good time. Although, anything involving kicking seemed to amuse Inuyasha in general.

He was wearing another one of the t-shirts she had bought him, a black one today, and although he still refused to wear jeans he had consented to a pair of sweatpants. It was still kind of odd to see him wearing modern day clothes, but she was quickly growing attached to the sight.

Turning back to the book she was holding, she continued to scan for any references to the sacred jewel.

"Kagome! Over here!" That was Ayumi's voice.

"Inuyasha, put on your hat." She whispered, knowing his sensitive ears would pick up her voice. "Ayumi, hi."

"Kagome, guess who I ran into today." Kagome pushed her sunglasses further up onto her nose as she stared up at a grinning Ayumi. "Go on, guess."

"No."

"No? What do you mean no?"

"I don't want to."

"You can't do that! You have to guess!"

"How about you just tell me, and I can get back to my book."

"What's wrong with you?" Ayumi crouched down, snatching the glasses off from her face. "Hojo! It's Hojo! And he's here, now, waiting for you to guess it's him."

"Hojo? Why on earth is he here?"

"You two are going to go out. Remember?"

"No," Kagome said slowly. "I never agreed to that."

"Yes you did."

"No, I didn't. You told me you ran into him, and that you gave him my number. Then we started talking about all my prior relationships and I got extremely uncomfortable. And then we saw a movie." Ayumi stared at her for a moment.

"But, it's _Hojo_! And he's _here_!" Kagome's eyes strayed across the yard. Souta was kicking the soccer ball against the wall of the shrine, while Inuyasha stood staring at her. "Who's that?" Ayumi asked. Kagome felt her face flush when she realized Ayumi had followed her gaze.

"That's Inuyasha. Remember? I think we discussed him that day, too."

"Wow, he's really hot. But why is he here?"

"Maybe for the same reason as Hojo. I'm reaching my expiration date, and all the bargain-hunters have come out to play."

"Kagome, be serious. What am I supposed to do with Hojo now?"

"I don't know." Snatching her sunglasses back, she snapped her book shut. "I never said I was interested in him. You're the one always trying to push him off on me."

"Well, he's a great guy." Ayumi said defensively. "Who wouldn't like him?"

"You're right." Kagome smiled slowly. "You should go out with him."

"Me?" Ayumi looked truly shocked at this. "I can't do that!"

"Why not? You said yourself he's a great guy. You always used to get along fine, and you don't currently have a gorgeous man standing in the middle of your lawn hanging on every word you're saying."

Inuyasha's 'feh!' echoed throughout the yard.

"He is awfully cute." Ayumi said slowly, standing back up.

"Yes, he is." Kagome climbed to her feet, patting Ayumi on the shoulder. "I think you should go back out there and tell him that. And that I'm unavailable. Completely, and utterly unavailable."

"I think I will." Ayumi walked back towards the street as though in a daze, although Kagome saw the smile cross her face before she turned away.

"Who is this Hojo?" Kagome turned to find a scowling Inuyasha, arms braced on his hips.

"No one, Inuyasha. Someone from school, a long time ago."

"Feh!" He snorted. "He needed a woman to help him court you. That's not a man."

"He's not courting me," She said slowly. "And my friend just wanted to see me happy. She thought I'd like him."

"But... you didn't want this Hojo."

"Right. I didn't want him." Inuyasha fell silent, and she saw a muscle in his jaw twitch. Then, suddenly, he was smiling. A full blown grin was crossing his face.

"I'm the gorgeous man standing in the middle of your lawn."

"No, I was talking about Souta."

"What?"

"I'm just teasing you." She reached out to lightly push his shoulder. "That was a joke."

What happened next, she wasn't exactly sure. She felt her hand touch his shoulder, but then she was being pulled forward, one hand wrapping around her wrist and the other delving into her hair to grip the back of her neck.

"Who is the gorgeous man you were talking about?" He growled softly. They were face to face, so close she could feel his breath on her skin. All she could see was the golden irises of his eyes as he looked into hers, and the flare of heat when she whispered "You".


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own Inuyasha or any of the other characters. I wish I did, though. That would be awesome...

* * *

The last of his restraint snapped. He had spent all morning watching her as she sat under that tree, the light breeze causing her hair to dance and skim around her shoulders; the way every time she turned a page, she would draw her bottom lip into her mouth. Her full, pink mouth... 

Tightening his grip on her and fisting his hands in her hair, he pulled her up against him and crushed her lips with his.

Gods, but she was sweet. For a moment, just a moment, he felt her stiffenwhenhis lips touched hers. But then she softened, leaning further into him. Lines of fire raced along his nerves, and he swallowed the low moan that escaped her lungs. Never had he thought a kiss could be so arousing.

He delved his tongue into her open mouth, starving for the taste of her. A small whimper came from the back of Kagome's throat as she stroked her tongue against his, and he tilted his head to further deepen the kiss. She flicked her tongue against one of his fangs, nipping at his upper lip before drawing it into her mouth and sucking gently.

Somewhere in the background, he dimly heard Souta shouting "Get a room!", and then Kagome was pulling back.

Later, he was going to kill that kid.

"Why did you do that?" She whispered.

"Because I wanted to," He frowned. "What the hell kind of question is that?"

"I don't know." She tilted her head, her lashes sweeping down as she looked away. "But then, I don't know why you just kissed me like that. Here, now."

"I don't know why I didn't do it sooner." The honesty in his answer startled even him. Kagome met his gaze again, her delicate brows knitting together in apparent confusion.

"That doesn't sound like you, Inuyasha. You would never say something like that."

"I also haven't seen you in three years. We've both changed since then."

"You're right. It has been three years. Three long years." She bit her lower lip again, then turned and walked back towards the house.

"Where are you going?" He called after her, but she didn't answer. A hand clapped him on the back.

"Why are you touching me?" Turning, Inuyasha glared at Souta.

"The question is, why are you touching my sister?" Souta shot back.

"You have no right to talk to me like that, boy."

"You fuck with my sister, you fuck with me." Souta pointed a finger in his face. "You have no idea what she's been through since she came back through the well. The last thing she needs is for your to mess with her head again."

"I'm not 'messing with her'."

"You and I both know that you'd much rather be in your own time than here. And Kagome belongs here."

"The well's broken. I'm not going anywhere."

"But once it's fixed again, you want me to believe you're going to stay? That you would much rather live here as a freak than go home where you can live free? Come on!" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, but bit his tongue. "Take a walk; I don't think Kagome wants you in the house just now."

> > > > > > >

Souta's words kept circling around in his head. Pulling the brim of his hat lower over his eyes, he walked through the streets with his hands in his pockets, his mind deep in thought.

He had messed up things once before; he didn't want to do that again. But, if the well could be fixed, would he still feel that way? Walking through the crowds of people, he wondered. Souta had been right; here, he was a freak. He would never be able to fully be himself; he would always have to cover his ears, run slower, act weaker, and pretend to be human. Pretend to be something he wasn't.

Stopping at a park bench, he slowly sat down and watched the people walk by.

But if he went home, he wouldn't see Kagome anymore. He wasn't going to delude himself into thinking that she would come back with him. Not with her family and schooling being such an integral part of her life. Years later, she might have. She said herself that she had decided to stay; but she would have grown bored, and she would have wished she had done something more with her life. And she would have grown to resent him.

Leaning back, he wearily rubbed his face with his hands. The taste of her was still in his mouth, swimming and dancing through his veins. He had always known she'd be sweet; he hadn't realized how addicting she would be.

Letting his mind drift back to the Shikon jewel, he stopped to consider what he had thought of those three years ago. There was another way, if they could find where it had disappeared to. If the jewel had the power to turn a hanyou into a full demon, as he knew it did, then it could probably turn a hanyou into a full human. Could he do that?

A life with Kagome... it would be within his reach. He would just have to give up the only existence he had ever known.

But then there would be Kagome...

He sat there on that bench long into the afternoon, quietly watching people walk by, contemplating with part of his life he would sacrifice to save the other.

* * *

Sorry it took so long for an update! I've got TONS of finals coming up soon, and I wanted to get a head start. I just wanted to thank those people who have taken their time to give me such thoughtful feedback. It's meant so much to me to know that people are enjoying reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. 


	9. Chapter 9

Okay... so, if anyone was wondering, this chapter and an upcoming chapter are one of the reasons I gave the story the rating I did. I wasn't sure how far I wanted to carry it, considering there isn't really any of this stuff in the anime.

Inuyasha is not mine, nor are any of the other characters. (Sigh, tear...)

* * *

Her lips were still tingling. 

After fleeing from Inuyasha, Kagome had locked herself in the bathroom and sat down on the edge of her bathtub. It was the only room in the house where she wouldn't have to worry about someone coming in. She wasn't sure how much time had passed; it could have been hours, it could have been minutes.

Raising a shaking hand, she touched her lips. That was what she had wanted, had dreamed of, all these years. So why was she shaking? What was wrong with her?

_He's just looking for a way home_, a voice in the back of her mind whispered. _He's just going to leave you again_.

"I wish he would go home." She whispered aloud.

Then the burning started.

Gasping aloud, she jumped to her feet and thrust her right arm under the faucet of the sink, dousing her skin with cold water. Her skin... it was glowing! It had a purplish-blue haze around it, skating across the top of her skin like ghostly flames. And then, as quickly as it was there, it disappeared.

With her other hand, she slowly reached down and touched a fingertip to her skin. Upon contact, she received a shock so strong the whole left side of her body jerked in protest. And she could even _see _the electricity that caused the shock; it was purple.

"Oh, god." Stumbling backwards until her back collided with the wall, she slowly slid down to the floor. She was so stupid! The Shikon jewel, it was _inside _her. That's why she hadn't been able to sense it before; it had rejoined with her body.

That night, that night the jewel disappeared, she had been wishing, longing, for Inuyasha to come to her. And he did. And just now, she had been wishing he would go home. Had she not lost her train of thought when the pain set in, it might have worked. She had been unknowingly using its power. And the bone eater's well... it had to be her, too. She was the reason the well wasn't working. It was because she had wanted him to stay there.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome sighed.

"Kagome?" There was a soft knock at the door. Reaching over, Kagome unlocked the bathroom door, but she didn't open it.

"Yes."

"Kagome, I wish to speak with you." The door swung open and a human Inuyasha stepped inside. "Kagome, I..." His voice trailed off when his gaze fell down on her. "Why are you shaking?"

"I... I'm just cold. Has the sun set already?" Her voice sounded raw, strained. _Oh, god_, she thought. _What do I say? What do I say?_

"Would you like to go for a walk?" He reached up and pushed back some of his now-black hair, showing her his human ears. "I can go outside without a hat, now." Bending down, he held out a hand to help her to her feet. "I think we need to speak about a lot of things."

"Alright." Accepting his hand, he helped up her and surprised her by turning her hand over and lightly kissing her palm. "I'd like to change my clothes, first." Inuyasha nodded.

"I can wait."

> > > > > > >

Never in his wildest dreams would he have guessed that he would someday be walking the modern streets with Kagome, her slender hand clasping his. And him as a human, no less. It was odd, not needing to hide himself, not needing to worry that someone might see him for what he was. Though his senses were dulled and his body was weaker, it was strangely freeing.

"I was found something today, Inuyasha." Kagome's grip on his hand suddenly tightened. He glanced down at her. She looked so beautiful tonight; she was beautiful for _him _tonight. The white sundress she was wearing accented her curvy frame and the golden color of her skin. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, the ends long enough to still brush her shoulders. But most of all, she looked content. He couldn't remember the last time she looked so at ease, so relaxed.

"I discovered something today, too. I had today what is called a 'hot dog'. A man with a cart was selling them in the park. I'm not sure what part of the dog the meat came from, but it was awesome."

"Awesome?" Kagome tilted her head and grinned up at him. "Where on earth did you learn that word?"

"I heard a young boy say it. Did I misuse it?"

"No. I just wasn't expecting it." Inuyasha bent down to gently kiss her while her face was still turned up towards his. Kagome's hand slipped free from his and slid up to his shoulder, pulling him down closer towards her. It had been his intention to keep it short and light, but once the tip of Kagome's tongue darted out to tease the corner of his mouth, instinct took over.

Crushing her to his chest, he ravished her lips, her jaw, her throat. His head was spinning from the scent and taste of her; it was taking all his self-control to keep himself from laying her down on the ground and taking her right then-and-there.

"We have an audience," Kagome laughed into his ear while he was kissing the tender skin at the base of her throat. Raising his head, he saw a group of teenage girls watching them and giggling. Instead of acting embarrassed, though, Kagome took his hand in hers and gave a small bow. Grinning, he followed her suit, and the girls giggled louder and clapped. "Thank you, thank you! Repeat shows on the hour, every hour!"

"Really?" Inuyasha waggled his eyebrows at her. "I like the sound of that."

> > > > > >

"Lets run away, now. This is kind of weird." Using his hand, she guided him away from the group of girls and down an alley. "You didn't really want to talk about your hot dog experience tonight, did you?"

"No. But it was delicious." He took a deep breath, and Kagome felt a swarm of butterflies rise in her stomach. "I have decided to stay. Here, with you."

"You... what?" She hadn't been expecting that.

"We may never find the Shikon jewel, and I think we should accept that. I think that maybe I was meant to come here. You came to me all those years ago, and now it was my turn."

"But what happens if we find the jewel?" Kagome asked softly, her breath catching in her throat. They stopped walking, and Inuyasha turned so he was fully facing her.

"If we find it, we use it to make me human."

"You would become human?" His dark human eyes met hers unwaveringly.

"Yes."

"Oh." Was all she said, and then to her horror she began to cry.

"Why are you crying?" Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she wept.

"I don't know! I've cried more the past couple days than I have in my whole life!" She shook her head as she buried her face in his shoulder. "And now I'm getting your shirt all wet."

"I don't care about my shirt." He began to stroke her hair, talking softly to her until her tears finally subsided.

"You really mean this?" Her fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt. "You would really stay, even if we found the jewel?"

_Tell him, you should tell him!_

"Yes." He frowned down at her when another tear rolled down her cheek. "Are you upset with me?"

Rather than answer with words, she decided to show him just how she felt. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down and kissed him with all the passion and longing that had been building up inside of her for the past seven years. A rumbling came from deep inside his chest, and then she was being moved backward until her back met the brick of one of the buildings.

She gasped slightly, and Inuyasha took the opportunity to sweep his tongue into her mouth. And while his mouth was doing incredibly clever things to her, his hand had slipped into the top of her dress and his hand began doing incredibly clever things to her breasts.

Moaning, her hooked one of her legs around his waist, pulling him closer. She could feel him through the thin fabric of her dress, hard and straining towards her. Rocking herself against him, she was rewarded with a hoarse gasp from Inuyasha.

"We can't do this." He whispered, pulling back just far enough for her to see his face.

"What?"

"We can't do this here. I am _not _going to take you in an alley like an animal." She smiled slowly, lightly trailing her fingers up and down his spine.

"Who says I'm not going to have you?"

"Oh, you have me, Kagome. I think you've always had me."

"So let's go home."

* * *

I'm so sorry, but I have to stop there tonight! Please don't kill me! More will be posted either tomorrow or Tuesday at the absolute latest, I promise! 


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